GENE SIMMONS: 'The Most Impressive People To Me Are WARREN BUFFETT And ELON MUSK And JEFF BEZOS'

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons spoke about his continued passion for performing on stage. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I love it… I often wondered, when I was first starting out with the band 50 years ago, actually closer to 55 now, all I ever wanted was to be in a band that went in the studio and recorded one album. One. I just wanted to be able to go into a store, record store — they used to have those in those days — and that's all I ever wanted to do. And then that day came. That day came when I walked next to Electric Lady Studios in New York where we did our first record, went next door and actually bought the first record. $3.39. Then they got more expensive and all that. And then after that, I think it's analogous to when you're a kid and you never made a penny in your life, you walk down the street, you look on the floor, and you go, 'Oh my God. There's a penny on the floor. I can pick it up and it's mine.' Then when you find the second penny, whatever, 'That's good. I did that.' Then you find a dime. 'Oh my God, there's a dime.' And you pick it up and you go, 'Wow.' And then later on you find a dollar, and you go, 'Oh, wow, I found a dollar. I'm rich.' So, how we look at life is all relative. When you climb on top of a mountain, you go, 'Wow, I made it.' Then you look around and there are taller mountains, and you go, 'Okay.' Roll up your sleeves and keep going. That's really the idea. Keep going."

After Meltdown noted that "there's gotta be an addiction process to going on stage all the time", Simmons countered: "I don't like that word. I think it infers negativity — drug addicts, alcohol and so on. But when you love doing something, I wonder why that's an addiction. Like you're a workaholic. Losers say that. You know who the starving people in India and other places in the world who don't have jobs and are trying to figure out how to feed their families, they can't imagine anybody would come up with a phrase like, 'You're a workaholic. You're working too much.' Too much? Please let me work too much. I'll give you my firstborn.

"We are entitled and spoiled, and I think I've had about enough of that," Gene continued. "The most impressive people to me are [American investor and philanthropist Warren] Buffett and Elon Musk [the CEO and largest shareholder of Tesla and SpaceX] and [Jeff] Bezos [American entrepreneur and investor who founded Amazon in 1994]. Elon's worth — I don't know — about a trillion and a half, something like that. What does he do every day? He gets up. He's planning, he's doing. He's planning, for goodness sakes, cities on Mars while the rest of us are complaining about the traffic jam. We're doing nothing. These are people who have higher intellect and a grander vision of life, that you can do big things. And for me, the big thing is — look, imagine you write a book and you're really proud of it. You worked hard and then once you're finished, you put it on a shelf and nobody reads it. Well, you don't get anything out of it. The joy is to have other people read it and comment. Some love it. You're a painter and you do this amazing painting that you're really proud of — and I've done some of that myself — well, if nobody sees it, where's the joy in that? So writing songs is the same thing, or being in a band. There can't be a party without you. If you're alone at home spinning your favorite record and you have potato chips and Diet Coke, that ain't much of a party."

Simmons continues to perform with his solo band, GENE SIMMONS BAND, nearly three years after KISS played the final concert of the group's "End Of The Road" farewell tour.

GENE SIMMONS BAND consists of Gene on bass and vocals, Jason Walker on guitar and vocals, Brian Tichy on drums and vocals and Brent Woods on guitar.

Simmons was born Chaim Witz in August 1949, at Rambam Hospital in Haifa to Jewish immigrants from Hungary. He was the son of Holocaust survivor Flora Klein and a father, Feri Witz, who soon abandoned his family, leaving them penniless prior to emigrating to America in search of a better life.

Simmons is a serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, and media mogul. He has achieved success that reaches far beyond his music career, extending into television shows, films, publishing, merchandising, worldwide restaurants, consumer products, and more.

Gene was inspired to become a rock star when he first saw a televised performance by THE BEATLES. He formed several bands and then met fellow KISS co-founder Paul Stanley in 1970 and they formed the group WICKED LESTER. In the winter of 1972, with a desire to create the "ultimate" rock band, not just "another" rock band, Simmons and Stanley formed KISS with original band members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley. Inspired by his love of comic books and horror films, Simmons conceived the concept of his face paint. The addition of elaborate costumes, frenetic stage performances and ostentatious concert effects, catapulted KISS to international stardom and a coveted position as one of the most recognized rock and roll bands in the world.

Since their inception, KISS has developed millions of fans around the world, also known as the KISS Army. With over 100 million CDs and DVDs sold worldwide, KISS sold out stadiums and arenas around the world for five decades, breaking box-office records set by Elvis Presley and THE BEATLES.

KISS was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2014 and in 1999 received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Merchandising giant Simmons's keen business acumen has expanded the KISS brand beyond the stage. With more than 5,000 licensed/merchandised items, KISS has generated more money from merchandising and trademark deals than any other band in music history.

More recently, Gene launched Gene Simmons MoneyBag soda — a new line of sodas made with all natural flavors, colors, and pure cane sugar, and packaged in painted bottles.

Simmons is renowned and sought after worldwide as a notable and opinionated media commentator on a diverse range of topics from politics to business.